Camera flurry sign of country's new status

Clicking camera shutters and photographers' flashes usually begin bombarding VIPs the moment they enter a media event venue, and then again every time they make a hand or body gesture, with the cacophony and light show simmering down a bit when the subject is quiet and motionless on the dais.

And after around 15 minutes, most of the buzz of activity usually subsides, whether due to time considerations or perhaps because cellphone memories are filling up fast-or battery power is running out even faster.

However, there are rare cases when photographers keep close and constant track of subjects through their lenses for the entirety of a media event as journalists desperately seek the proverbial perfect shot, however elusive it may be.

Foreign Minister Wang Yi represented one such rare case on Thursday at his once-a-year news conference on the sidelines of the annual plenary session of the National People's Congress.

The two-hour morning briefing took place at a venue packed with reporters, and Wang answered questions from more than 20 media representatives from home and abroad.

Unlike his past news conferences, the barrage of light and sound recurred with almost every one of his gestures.

From time to time, tittering could even be heard among print journalists seated between the minister and the photographers, especially during the more violent of the thunder and lightening shows.

"China's diplomacy, of course, is more important than ever," one of the veteran foreign reporters said when asked why such a frenzy of shots took place this year, and not in prior years.

Another sign of surging global focus on China's diplomacy was the lineup of reporters alongside the VIP platform.

Normally, there is an aisle between the platform and the first row of seats reserved for media, and many journalists carrying smaller cameras, mobile phones or even selfie sticks for a closer shot may sit in the aisle.

However, this year, the "occupation" began earlier. Around 45 minutes ahead of the news conference, the entire aisle was already packed with reporters.

When Wang, his translator and event hosts walked onto the platform, those in the aisle failed to kneel during their shooting, which clearly irked photographers and TV crew members holding larger equipment in the back of the room.

"Squat! Those in front, squat!" many cried out angrily.

And the end of the news conference saw a forward rush of journalists eager to pose additional questions to Wang.

As the world takes a closer look at China, the country is also optimizing its message-delivery system to help improve its foreign relations.

The group focusing on foreign affairs of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference has seen more veteran diplomats and scholars of international relations take part this year.